Wayfaring Posts
April in Alabama
Nothing could be more beautiful than April in Alabama and, in my case, nothing could be more exciting. I recently returned from the read more...
Widespread Panic In Orange Beach, Alabama
Widespread Panic On The Beach 4/19/08
The Day The Music Died
The day was February 3, 1959. At approximately 12:55 AM, Buddy read more...
Lest We Forget: Four Spirits
January 30, 2008, marked the 60th anniversary of the assassination of India’s political and spiritual leader
The Best of All Possible Worlds or Is There Balm in Gilead?
I live in the boonies, the hinterlands of Northern Alabama. For years, I made do with erratic reception from local television read more...
Six Degrees of Separation
In the south we not only claim kin we also claim friends. I have learned that behind every new acquaintance there lies the read more...
LIghts, Camera, Action! Film Festivals and Film Debuts in the South
Late winter and spring of 2008 will see the blossoming of a host of film festivals in the South. A number of the festivals read more...
White Pelicans on Elk River
White Pelicans are a rarity on Elk River. I have never seen one north of Gulf Shores, but on Christmas morning a friend down the read more...
Music and Movie Making in Alabama
Sorry to have been incommunicado since Thanksgiving. This time I was overwhelmed by the holiday madness and computer read more...
Confessions Redux
This year marks the fiftieth anniversary of Auburn’s 1957 National Championship. Not only did the Tigers go undefeated that read more...
A Day In The Life of A Great American Guitarist (Marc Ford) PART THREE
A Day In the Life of A Great American Guitar Player: PART THREE Marc Ford In San Francisco 11/05/07
Mystery & Manners Dispatch From San Francisco
Dispatch From San Francisco 11/3/07
Tiger Rag
In the spring a young man’s fancy may turn to baseball, but in the fall in the South everyone’s fancy turns to read more...
Mystery & Manners' Honorary Southern Artist(s) PART THREE--Tom Waits
Mystery & Manners' Honorary Southern Artist(s) PART THREE 10/31/07
Mystery & Manners' Honorary Southern Artist(s) PART TWO--Jerry Garcia
Mystery & Manners Honorary Southern Artist(s) Part Two 10/30/07
October 27 & 28 Bridge School Benefit
21st Bridge School Benefit Hosts Various Musicians 10/27/07
Take Me Out to the Ball Game
Wednesday night’s opening game of the 2007 World Series at
SWAMPLAND Goin' Out West...Frisco Bound...
Mystery & Manners Goin' Out West To San Francisco 10/25/07
It is Raining on the River!
I guess I rattled my rain stick enough this weekend to wake up the clouds. We In North Alabama are reveling in what the Navajos call read more...
On the Road Again
Sorry I have been incommunicado lately. I am still struggling with allergies that seem to get worse rather than better. Ah, fall in read more...
Arrivederci Roma, Ciao Athens (Alabama)
I have just returned from ten days in Italy (Venice, Florence/Tuscany, and Rome) and am way behind on my blog, so please bear read more...
Goin' Home: A Tribute To Fats Domino
GOIN' HOME: A TRIBUTE TO FATS DOMINO 9/26/07
More Alabama Authors: Eric Smith
Eric Smith is assistant professor of English at the University of Alabama-Huntsville where his speciality is Post Colonial read more...
"When I die, the brush dies": Remembering Jimmie Lee Sudduth
Southeast Adventure Outfitters
read more...
Hot and Wet or Hot and Dry?
The state of Alabama made the national news on two consecutive days this week: first regarding the referendum that could read more...
Turtle Tracks
In the fall of 2005, my sister Peggy bought a 1985 Toyota Dolphin RV from her son in Seaside, CA, and in late October Peggy, our read more...
West "by God" Virginia and The Free State of Winston
Is West Virginia really a part of the south? Jason Headley in an article entitled "A State of Confusion" pleads the case read more...
Look Homeward, Angel: In Memoriam Doug Marlette
On Tuesday, July 10, Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Doug read more...
The Last Outpost of Time
read more...
07-07-07
Isn't seven the most powerfully magical number? -- Tom Marvolo Riddle to Horace Slughorn Harry read more...
A Quiet Fourth of July
It is a strangely quiet Fourth of July on the river. Due to the devastating
Ninety is the New Forty-five
I hope each of you read the newspaper article by James Lewis of Newhouse News Service published on May 26th. Lewis wrote about four read more...
Uneasy Rider
Last weekend I traveled to Austin, Texas, for the 90th birthday celebration of Dr. Elva Mclin, my mentor, friend, and longtime read more...
A Smoke Out In Rome
6/8/07
A Long, Hot Summer?
I don’t think it has rained in the Tennessee Valley since the day
On The Road in Athens for Marshall Tucker at Georgia Theatre
The last time I was at The Georgia Theatre in Athens, Georgia was several read more...
On The Road at The Scott Boyer Benefit in Muscle Shoals
After a fun day with the Lopates (see my previous blog) we found ourselves at the Shoals Theatre in downtown Florence, Alabama for what read more...
From The Stone Pony To The Rockin’ Camel
(Toto, I Don’t Think We’re in Long Branch Any More) Tuesday, April 3rd, 2007
Looking Ahead to Merlefest
It's getting close to that time again. Time for Merlefest, the biggest and best Americana music festival of all. Every year around this read more...
Vince Gill, Willie Nelson, Derek Trucks, Robert Randolph and Alison Krauss To Play Eric Clapton Guitar Fest
Vince Gill, Willie Nelson, Derek Trucks, Robert Randolph and Alison Krauss will participate in the 2007 Crossroads Guitar Festival, read more...
The James Burton Guitar Festival
....Interviewing the King of the Telecaster, James Burton, read more...
Levon Helm Makes a Triumphant Return to The Big Stage
NEW YORK - He beat throat cancer. Then he sang his way out of bankruptcy. And this weekend, Woodstock's Levon read more...
Amoeba To Release Vintage Gram Parsons Performance(s)
3/20/07 On March 15, through invitation only, a listening party was conducted at South By Southwest to debut the Flying read more...
Get Front Row Seats For Skynyrd and Hank, Jr.
STUBHUB FORGES NEW PARTNERSHIP TO PROVIDE FANS EXCLUSIVE FRONT ROW ACCESS TO LYNYRD SKYNYRD, HANK WILLIAMS JR. SPRING TOUR
Dickey Betts, Ed King Join James Burton Guitar Festival in Louisiana
Two Benefit Concerts Scheduled For Scott Boyer
SHOALS & BIRMINGHAM BENEFIT CONCERTS SET FOR FORMER CAPRICORN ARTIST SCOTT BOYER
J.D. Crowe & The New South Announce Spring Tour
Bluegrass Hall of Honor inductee J.D. Crowe and his band The New South are hitting the road this spring in support read more...
Road Trip to Beaufort, SC, Sports Fans!
Recently, we decided to take off, pretty much on a whim, and set sail for the shore. Jill and I had visited before, but it would read more...
Lynyrd Skynyrd, Marshall Tucker, Sister Hazel Set To Cruise in January 2008
Three Southern groups, Lynyrd read more...
Marshall Tucker Band to Headline All Star Concert with Lee Roy Parnell and Randall Bramblett
Rome, GA - The Rome Braves along with Classic Rock KZ 106 and Miller Lite announce that southern rock legends , The Marshall Tucker read more...
Po Monkey's: One of the Last Great Juke Joints
Volunteer Jam Ready to Hit the Road Again
NASHVILLE- Charlie Daniels, leader of the Charlie Daniels Band, has announced the legendary Volunteer Jam Tour will, once again, hit read more...
Wayfaring Reviews
Darius Goes West
“Something’s gonna happen like…Just spark the whole world,” exclaims Darius, the star of the read more...
Song of America
Song of America Various Artists 31 Tigers Records By James Calemine This 50-song, 3 CD read more...
KELBRN
Southern Soul Barbecue
Southern Soul Barbecue 318 Mallory Street Saint Simons Island, Georgia 31522 912-634-7516
Mrs. Wilkes Dining Room-Savannah, Georgia
Mrs. Wilkes Dining Room 107 West Jones Street Savannah, Georgia 31401 912-232-5997 James read more...
Dub's Burgers
Dub's Burgers 204 South Jefferson Street Athens, AL 35611 256-232-6135
Whitt's Barbecue
Whitt's #1 1397 East Elm Street Athens, Alabama 35611 256-232-7928 My sister had a read more...
Wayfaring ArticlesNew York City Southern Style: Alabama Studio Weekend in the Shoals
by Penne J. Laubenthal Imagine starting off your Saturday morning with the perfect Bloody Mary, garnished in typical southern fashion with pickled okra, and served to you by one of the country’s foremost clothing designers, Billy Reid, in his boutique housed in the historic and elegantly appointed Pickett Place read more...
Widespread Panic: On The Beach
Widespread Panic: On The Beach
Jim Dickinson's Best Memphis Barbecue & Favorite Meals On The Road
When I interviewed the High Priest of Memphis Mojo—Jim Dickinson—I asked him if he’d be interested in submitting his inimitable insight on barbecue, music and movies. Mr. Dickinson sent along some very interesting details on these cultural topics. His expertise in these read more...
Merlefest at 21, Doc Watson at 85: Festival Notes
A Great American Music Festival And Its Host At The Crossroads by Derek Halsey "In 1934, Dad made me a little home-made banjo,” remembers Doc Watson, on the historic three-CD album of performances and conversation recorded with
Deryle Perryman and Dangerous Highway, a Film About Eddie Hinton
by Penne J. Laubenthal Dangerous Highway is an amazing documentary about the life and music of the incredibly talented and tragically fated Eddie Hinton, called the "greatest unknown musician you have ever heard." The film was made by read more...
Logan Smalley: Creator and Director of Darius Goes West
In 2005 Logan Smalley, a special education major at the University of Georgia-Athens, undertook a venture that would change his life, not to mention the lives of those who view his amazing film. Smalley rented a handicapped accessible RV, recruited ten
Darius Goes West: Twelve Guys and a Dream
Once in a great while, just when you think there is no reason to get up in the morning and that there is no hope for humanity, and that people will just go on killing one another forever, and that tomorrow will be probably be even worse than today, then something happens to turn your world around. For me, that something was seeing a feature length documentary read more...
Fifth Annual Oxford Film Festival
The Fifth Annual Oxford Film Festival (OFF) will open Wednesday evening, February 6, in Oxford, read more...
Billy C Farlow is Having Too Much Fun
by Penne J. Laubenthal Billy C Farlow, blues musician, song writer, and harmonica player who skyrocketed to fame in the early ‘70s with Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen, is a force to be reckoned with on the music circuit. Billy C has been out there for over forty years making his music, writing read more...
Confessions of an Auburn Fan or It's Not Easy Being Orange (and Blue)
by Penne Jones Laubenthal The state of Alabama is a red state. It has been slowly turning red politically since 1960. In the past twenty-seven years, Alabama voters have increasingly voted for Republican candidates at the federal level, especially in Presidential read more...
Interview with Charles Ghigna
by Penne J. Laubenthal Charles Ghigna (aka Father Goose) is the author of more than 5,000 poems and 30 award-winning books of poetry. His books have been featured on ABC-TV’s "Good Morning America" and NPR, selected by the Book-of-the-Month Club and the Parents' Choice Book Award. He is a poet, read more...
Hunting the Cotaco Creek
by Charles Ghigna His hand in hold so trigger tight even its blood believes in ghosts. It clings with set finger on steel and waits inside a dream of ducks. The twilight gives into a rise of eastern sky as sun reveals herself too proud and instantly receives full face a splash of mallard flock. A shotgun blasts the read more...
The Alabama Wiregrassers
by Charles Ghigna Dry rooted in penny coated clay, the wiregrassers come suntan tamed in drawl through the mire faster. Machetes high aimed for home, they carry the clues of day across their open, flying clothes. Blade for blade, steel for grass, they flog the wire with a hungry denim run.
Shacks on Highway 231, Along the High Red Clay Embankments
By Bonnie Roberts These words are for those who never wrote a word, or sang a song, or thought a great thought, or invented something, or made something lasting. These words are for those who lived extraordinary non-extraordinary lives, of getting up each day, and walking through the day,
Auger and Old Shoes
by Eric Smith I. On her rocker’s each forward pitch she glimpses the scuffed toes of shoes down the hall, unlaced, empty, still at the foot of the bed, a very old cliché, like the read more...
St. Simons Island: Seaside Reckoning
St. Simons Island:
My South
By Doris Gabel Welch My South is Hot Humid Sultry Just like its women. My South is
Phillip Quinn Morris
Phillip Quinn Morris, author of Mussels and
W.C. Handy Music Festival, Florence, Alabama, July 22-29
“If Beale Street could talk Married men would have to take up their beds and walk…” Beale Street Blues W. C. Handy wrote those words when he was living in Memphis in 1916. It had been a long road from Florence, Alabama, to Memphis, Tennessee, read more...
Alabama Adventure Weekend
It is Earth Day 2007 and the Alabama sun is unseasonably hot. Summer is still two months away, but the living is already easy, especially in the Shoals area of North Alabama where I am spending the day at the Alabama Adventure Weekend, a two-day banquet of art and culture, fun read more...
Never Ending Soul Food Tour - Mack's Barbecue, Brunswick, GA
James Calemine’s “Never Ending Soul Food Tour” includes documented visits to barbecue joints, catfish dens, chicken shacks and any establishment serving memorable vittles. All photos by James Calemine. Mack’s Barbecue 2809 Glynn Avenue Brunswick, Georgia 31520
Never Ending Soul Food Tour - Sticky Fingers, Chattanooga, TN
James Calemine’s “Never Ending Soul Food Tour” includes documented visits to barbecue joints, catfish dens, chicken shacks and any establishment serving memorable vittles. Sticky Fingers 420 Broad Street Chattanooga, Tennessee 37402 423-899-RIBS www.stickyfingersonline.com “Health read more...
Never Ending Soul Food Tour - Swallow on the Hill, Roswell, GA
James Calemine’s “Never Ending Soul Food Tour” includes documented visits to barbecue joints, catfish dens, chicken shacks and any establishment serving memorable vittles. All photos by James Calemine. Swallow on the Hill 1072 Green Street Roswell, Georgia 30065 678-352-1975 www.swallowatthehollow.com
Never Ending Soul Food Tour - Wilson's Soul Food, Athens, GA
James Calemine’s “Never Ending Soul Food Tour” includes documented visits to barbecue joints, catfish dens, chicken shacks and any establishment serving memorable vittles. All photos by James Calemine. Wilson’s Soul Food 351 North Hull Street Athens, Georgia 30603 706-353-7289
Never Ending Soul Food Tour - Weaver D's, Athens, GA
James Calemine’s “Never Ending Soul Food Tour” includes documented visits to barbecue joints, catfish dens, chicken shacks and any establishment serving memorable vittles. All photos by James Calemine. Weaver D’s “Automatic For the People” 1016 East Broad Street Athens, Georgia 30601
Never Ending Soul Food Tour - Daddy's Country Kitchen, Acworth, GA
James Calemine’s “Never Ending Soul Food Tour” includes documented visits to barbecue joints, catfish dens, chicken shacks and any establishment serving memorable vittles. All photos by James Calemine. Daddy’s Country Kitchen 4525 South Main Street Acworth, Georgia 30101 770-974-2281
Never Ending Soul Food Tour - Fatt Matt's Rib Shack, Atlanta, GA
James Calemine’s “Never Ending Soul Food Tour” includes documented visits to barbecue joints, catfish dens, chicken shacks and any establishment serving memorable vittles. All photos by James Calemine. Fatt Matt’s Rib Shack 1811 Piedmont Road Atlanta, Georgia 30324 404-607-1622
Tall Stacks 2006
Tall Stacks 2006 A Music Festival Where The Steamboats Rule Cincinnati, Ohio - October 4th through the 8th By Derek Halsey November 2006 In 1988 the city of Cincinnati decided to commemorate its 200th birthday by putting together a festival that celebrated its life as a river city in southern read more...
GABBAFEST 2006
AN EYEWITNESS ACCOUNT Article and Photos by Bill Thames November 2006 The Georgia Allman Brothers Band Association wrapped-up its annual music festival in Macon, GA recently after three days of perfectly peachy read more...
The Appalachian String Band Festival 2006
An American Diary of a Ukrainian Girl THE APPALACHIAN STRING BAND FESTIVAL 2006 By Olena Goryelova, read more...
Road Trip to The Annual Angelus Benefit
by Michael Buffalo Smith & Scott Greene Feb. 2, 2006 Buffalo: I look forward to this every year. The annual pilgrimage from Upstate SC down to Tampa, Florida for Charlie Daniels’ three day golf and country rock concert to benefit The Angelus House, a home for the physically challenged. The read more...
Rodney Moag
Austin's own western swingin', yodel singin', morse-codin', on the roadin', book writin', out-of sightin', college teachin', language speakin', fiddle playin', radio deejayin', pickin' singin', always grinnin', college professor by Rush Evans November, 2005 When I arrive at Rod Moag's read more...
Road Trip to the Ray Brand Memorial Shows
The Ray of Light Benefit Shows Down in Alabama by Michael Buffalo Smith September 1, 2005 It seems like I have spent half of 2005 driving between Greenville, SC and Huntsville, Alabama. But this trip was a mighty special one. I was headed back to the Rocket City to take part in a memorial concert and benefit read more...
2004 Americana Music Conference
AMERICANA MUSIC CONFERENCE NASHVILLE, TN SEPTEMBER 23-25, 2004 by Michael Buffalo Smith October 2004 The ride up to Nashville was beautiful. The majesty of the Blue Ridge Mountains can oftentimes be overwhelming and under the sunny, clear blue skies of Carolina the trip was read more...
Americana Late Night
by Derek Halsey October 2004 One of the cool things about the Americana Music Conference is the nighttime jams that happen throughout Nashville during the week. I arrive on Tuesday night and end up at the home of live bluegrass music in Nashville, the Station Inn. Tonight’s bill features a read more...
Road Trip To The Mountains
Road Trip to the Mountains The Appalachian String Band Festival Camp Washington Carver - Clifftop, West Virginia July 27- August 2, 2004 by Derek Halsey October 2004 It is everything I can do to get this radio to work. The antenna for read more...
Phyllis Ann Bailey's Strawberry Preserves
Phyllis Ann Bailey's Strawberry Preserves by Ron Williams Spring City, Tenn., May 16, 2004 The Mexican migrant workers were picking strawberries and loading them onto a Chevy flatbed across Highway 27 outside of Dayton, TN. The other flatbed was at the sales stand directly across from the fields where Sandra read more...
The World Comes Out To Merlefest
THE WORLD COMES OUT TO MERLEFEST By Derek Halsey June 2004 Merlefest Music Festival April 29-May 2, 2004 I am sitting in a school bus. It is not your normal bus, but a short yellow school bus that read more...
Bluegrass Rules at the 2003 IBMAs
by Derek Halsey August 2003 The International Bluegrass Music Association’s yearly convention is already a couple of days old when I arrive on Wednesday afternoon on the first day of October. Known as IBMA Week, it is an annual event that brings together bluegrass read more...
2002 IBMA Bluegrass Awards Roadtrip
IBMA BLUEGRASS AWARDS ROAD TRIP By Derek Halsey December 2002 As I drove into Louisville, Kentucky on this misty October night I reached for the radio dial to see if I could pick up WSM out of Nashville. I was about to take in my first IBMA Awards show and I read more...
Road Trip to New Orleans
ROAD TRIP TO NEW ORLEANS THE LEGENDARY JAZZ & HERITAGE FESTIVAL Report/Photos By Derek Halsey First Appeared in GRITZ, Print issue #2, Fall 2002 New Orleans is a city being rebuilt these days, as Hurricane Katrina hit it hard in August and September of 2005. While politicians and citizens are trying read more...
Earl Scruggs Family and Friends
Earl Scruggs Family and Friends A WBZI and Cityfolk.org Production Dayton, Ohio April 14,2002 by Derek Halsey The Earl Scruggs Band featuring; Earl Scruggs, banjo and guitar. Gary Scruggs, vocals and bass and all round nice guy. Glen Duncan, a fantastic fiddler. Jerry Douglas, Dobro, read more...
Cincinnati Five Way Chili
King-Federal, and the Queen City's Claim to Fast Food Fame Cincinnati Five Way Chili by Ron Williams December 2001 (OK, so I lied about waiting till March to write another column! This is my gift to the readers for the Holiday Season. Truly! I was going to retire off of this recipe. I can't believe I'm read more...